Lin Zhao ignored him, continuing to fight the Ghost Clan sorcerer head-on. His health potions were used almost non-stop, replenishing his health to the maximum. Furthermore, with every sword strike, he absorbed 8% of the damage dealt as his own health, an effect that proved particularly crucial. Without it, Lin Zhao probably wouldn't have been able to tackle this Dark Gold tier boss. As for the 4% critical hit chance, it had contributed to speeding up the progression and enhancing the lifesteal effect, also playing a significant role.
For physical melee DPS classes, lifesteal, critical hit, and damage reduction were all god-tier attributes.
…
A few minutes later, with a single strike of "Heaven and Earth Toss" dealing over 3000 damage, the Ghost Clan sorcerer's last bit of health was finally depleted. It let out a mournful howl, its body beginning to disintegrate, scattering a mess of gold coins and equipment. Simultaneously, Lin Zhao received a prompt asking if he wished to hide his ID. If he didn't confirm within 10 seconds, it would be considered a refusal. Thus, he quickly chose to remain low-key. The next second, a ringing sound echoed through the skies of Cloud County, leaving everyone dumbfounded—
"Ding!"
System Announcement: Congratulations to player [**] for successfully defeating [Ghost Clan Sorcerer] (Dark Gold Tier) and obtaining the Dark Gold Tier first kill in this county! Rewards received: Level +1, Gold Coins +500, Reputation +200, and an additional reward: [Soaring Wind Battle Boots] (Gold Grade)!
…
Here it comes!
Lin Zhao took a deep breath. At the very least, he'd secured a pair of Gold Grade boots. Their stats would undoubtedly be better than his current Gold Grade Elite Battle Boots. After all, he was level 20, and upon defeating the boss and receiving his rewards, he was already level 38. Level 20 equipment was completely out of sync with his progress. The stats of a level 20 Gold Grade item might not even be as good as a level 38 Silver Grade item.
He glanced down, and the stats of the boots were indeed impressive—
[Soaring Wind Battle Boots] (Gold Grade)
Type: Armor
Defense: 100
Strength: +38
Stamina: +35
Special Effect: Damage Reduction +4%
Special Effect: Physical Dodge +4%
Special Effect: Tenacity, increases user's HP by 800
Special Effect: Swiftness, increases user's movement speed by 8%
Bonus: Increases user's attack power by 5%
Required Level: 38
…
With 100 defense, four special effects, and one bonus, that was more than enough. These Soaring Wind Battle Boots should at least double his combat power compared to the Elite Battle Boots. Thus, like a scumbag, Lin Zhao quickly put on the Soaring Wind Battle Boots and stuffed the Elite Battle Boots into his inventory, planning to give them to Ding Chi or Zhang Jun later if they needed them.
Next was the main event: checking the loot from the Ghost Clan sorcerer!
Lin Zhao scooped up all the gold coins from the ground and then examined the drops from the Dark Gold tier boss. There were three items in total: a fiery red spiritual robe, which shimmered resplendently; a golden shield; and finally, a golden longsword. It looked like the very sword wielded by this "Divine Treasury realm Ghost Clan old immortal," and it might be a treasure!
Lin Zhao's heart was filled with anticipation. First, he examined the spiritual robe's stats. With a sweep of his hand, the stats were indeed satisfactory—
[Destruction Phoenix Spiritual Robe] (Dark Gold Grade)
Type: Cloth Armor
Defense: 75
Spirit: +48
Stamina: +45
Special Effect: Damage Reduction +3%
Special Effect: Physical Dodge +5%
Special Effect: Reduces user's cooldown for all elemental spells by 5%
Bonus: Increases user's spiritual attack power by 10%
Required Level: 38
Required Gender: Female
…
A female mage robe.
Lin Zhao's heart was filled with joy. "Not bad, not bad. There are many female players in the China region, and countless of them play mages, so the market for this spiritual robe will be vast. Moreover, it's a Dark Gold grade item, so it will definitely sell for a considerable price."
He put it away for now and then looked at the golden shield. Holding the shield in his hand, its stats became clear—
[Shield of Destruction] (Gold Grade)
Defense: 145
Block: +40
Strength: +35
Stamina: +32
Special Effect: Physical Dodge +4%
Special Effect: Damage Absorption +3%
Bonus: Increases user's defense by 5%
Required Level: 38
…
A decent shield. However, in the early stages of the game where shields were scarce, the value of this shield was imaginable. Among the three heavy classes, Sword Masters eventually acquire the Lake of Hidden Swords and Flying Swords, thus always using one-handed swords and unable to equip shields. Berserkers, on the other hand, use terrifyingly powerful two-handed axes or polearms and cannot equip shields. Only Paladins, known for their balanced offense and defense, would be terrifyingly formidable with such a shield.
Finally, there was the sword, the loot Lin Zhao anticipated the most. How could a sword master not have a suitable weapon? His Fang Sword was only a level 20 Gold Grade item, and honestly, its attack power was no longer keeping up with Lin Zhao. Therefore, Lin Zhao took the longsword dropped by the boss into his hand, and a surge of immense power flowed into it. With a sweep of his hand across the blade, the stats appeared before his eyes, and his heart instantly pounded—
[Azure Dwelling Sword] (Dark Gold Grade)
Attack: 280-375
Strength: +48
Stamina: +45
Special Effect: Lifesteal +8%
Special Effect: Armor Break, ignores target's defense by 20%
Special Effect: Deals 45% splash damage to targets within 5 yards of the target
Special Effect: Azure Dragon Draws Water, each attack can reduce target's spirit by 3%, stackable up to 20 layers
Bonus: Increases user's attack power by 10%
Lore: An ancient divine craftsman forged this sword by Azure Dwelling for years, finally obtaining a peerless treasure. Its blade is clear, with dragon patterns rotating, incredibly sharp, capable of cutting through iron like mud, hence it was named Azure Dwelling.
Required Strength: 400
Required Level: 38
…
This was absolutely a divine-grade sword weapon at present!
Lin Zhao's eyes were practically shining. This sword's maximum attack power reached 375, which was even higher than the level 33 Iron Blood Battle Axe. Keep in mind, that was a two-handed weapon, and this one-handed weapon's attack power exceeded that of a two-handed weapon. How were the Berserkers supposed to play? Moreover, the 8% lifesteal and the 20% defense reduction against opponents were both incredibly outrageous. Coupled with a 45% splash effect, Lin Zhao could now pretty much hack and slash his way through mobs.
Most importantly, the Azure Dragon Draws Water effect made him invincible against mages. From now on, no mage would be able to escape Lin Zhao's hunting, not even the top mage in the entire server!
Oh, right, who was the top mage in the entire server? He didn't know, and he didn't care.
With a "click," Lin Zhao equipped the Azure Dwelling Sword. Instantly, he felt a surge of immense power flow into his body. Looking at his own stats, especially his attack attributes, he was in a completely different league—
[White Robe] (Novice Sword Master)
Level: 38
Attack: 576-971 (+25%)
Defense: 448 (+8%)
HP: 7250
Critical Hit: 4%
Lifesteal: 16%
Damage Reduction: 3%
Wisdom: 99
Charisma: 0
Reputation: 500
Combat Power: 352
…
Finally, his attack power broke the thousand mark. With the equipment's percentage bonuses, Lin Zhao's true attack power was now between 720-1212, with a maximum attack power of over 1200. He was essentially at a level where anyone he hit would be unable to endure. If he landed a critical hit, which had a 4% chance, it would be fatal. Furthermore, his defense had also improved, his HP had reached over 7000, and his lifesteal was 16%. At this point, with the Azure Dwelling Sword in hand, Lin Zhao was virtually untouchable within a small area in PvP. Unless his opponents were too numerous and could focus fire him down within seconds, he could always retreat safely.
Full of ambition, he went to find Ding Chi and Zhang Jun and gave them the discarded equipment. It was still an era where Gold Grade items were scarce, and many players had never even seen a Gold Grade item. Regardless of whether it was a level 20 Gold Grade item, the boost of sixty to seventy stat points was real. Therefore, the Fang Sword and Elite Battle Boots could still elevate Ding Chi and Zhang Jun to a higher level.
After handing over the equipment, Ding Chi returned to town and listed the Destruction Phoenix Spiritual Robe and the Shield of Destruction in the Cloud County Auction House. Lin Zhao, meanwhile, went to turn in his quests.
…
At this very moment, in Cloud County.
Inside the county town, Ghost King, who had just finished delivering a lengthy rant provoking Lin Zhao, was dumbfounded. A reward announcement for a player with a two-character ID soloing a Dark Gold tier boss was echoing through the air. Without even thinking, he knew that the two-character ID player was most likely Bai Yi, the only one who would hide his ID so discreetly. And his rant had just been slapped in the face. What about Ghost King's reputation now?
"What the hell..."
Ghost King frowned, "Already got the Dark Gold first kill?"
"Yeah."
Fei Long Zai Tian, level 35, standing nearby, furrowed his brow. "It must be Bai Yi. His level on the level leaderboard suddenly shot up. He's level 38 now. If this Dark Gold tier boss wasn't killed by him, it wouldn't make sense."
"Damn it!"
Fan Wang Zhi Xue's expression was solemn. "What kind of cheat is this kid using? Soloing a Dark Gold tier boss, is he even human?"
Bi Yi Jian Zhong Dao: "Perhaps he found some way to glitch the boss and slowly grind it to death. Logically speaking, a Sword Master at this stage shouldn't be able to solo a boss. They only have a few pathetic output and defense skills, how can they solo?"
"So it's a bug exploit?"
Ghost King sneered, "Later, issue my Peony Emperor's Edict. All members of Sheng Shi Mu Dan will go to customer service and report Bai Yi, saying he used an illegal bug to obtain the Dark Gold first kill and request the officials to strip him of his rewards. The Dark Gold tier first kill in Cloud County must belong to Sheng Shi Mu Dan, and only we are qualified for it."
"My King..."
Fan Wang Zhi Xue's expression was awkward. "Do you know what the Metaverse is?"
"No!"
Ghost King raised an eyebrow. "So what?"
"The so-called Metaverse,"
Fan Wang Zhi Xue said, "is a free and open world developed based on blockchain technology, where the main system automatically evolves. The customer service can at most manage things like selling skins. Deep-level technology cannot be changed without authorization, meaning this game has no bugs. What exists is reasonable. Complaining will be useless."
"Damn it..."
Ghost King gritted his teeth. "Then there's no choice. We'll proceed as planned. Tonight at nine o'clock, we will compete for the Dark Gold tier boss second kill reward in Cloud County!"
"Yes, my King!"
…
Night. Top floor of Su City Gate.
Shen Xingchen had recently rented a suite in the top-floor hotel to spend more time with Leng Yan. At this moment, she slowly rose from the game pod and walked to the balcony, her delicate brows slightly furrowed as she connected the communication link to Leng Yan.
A beam of light rose from the ground level of the hotel, holographically projecting Leng Yan's appearance as he fought monsters in the game. He smiled and asked, "Xingchen, what's wrong?"
"About two hours ago, someone in Cloud County got the Dark Gold tier boss first kill."
Shen Xingchen said, "And it dropped a Dark Gold tier spiritual robe. I plan to send someone to Cloud County to bid for the robe."
"Oh, that's it?"
Leng Yan chuckled, "Eventually, someone will get the first kill in every county town. It's not surprising, after all, the world is full of talented people."
"Mm."
Shen Xingchen nodded with a smile, but a sense of unease lingered in her heart. Unexpected factors always seemed to emerge in her plans. Xinghe's layout in the sixteen counties of Yun Province was already complete. Cang Long was in Han Tai County, she and Su Xinghe led the main force in Hai Xi County, and Leng Yan's Sheng Tian was in He Xi County. Cloud County only had a few insignificant guilds. Who could have completed the Dark Gold first kill so quickly?
Even an hour earlier than the Xinghe Guild!